Rutba

Shortly after the US bombings in Iraq began a group of Americans were traveling on the road away from Baghdad in jeeps. After a while the convoy noticed that the last jeep was no longer following. They turned around to go look and found their comrades' vehicle wrecked on the side of the road with only bloody seats on the inside. They traveled to a nearby town in Western Iraq called Rutba and found their friends, two of which had severe head injuries. They found a Muslim Iraqi doctor and asked him to help their friends. The doctor said, "Three weeks ago your country bombed our country, but I will take care of them anyway." When the Americans asked the doctor how much money they owed him he replied, "Nothing, just go back to the US and tell them what it's really like here."

This reminds me all to well of a story Jesus told that we often call The Good Samaritan. Samaritans were the sworn enemy of the Jews, yet Jesus' story had a Samaritan taking care of an injured Jewish man to no gain of his own. The one who is supposed to be your enemy ends up saving your life.

The doctor in Iraq no doubt had seen the devastation first hand that the American bombings had inflicted on his country and his people. But when he was faced with injured Americans he chose to extend them the same kind of charity as the man in Jesus' parable. This Muslim doctor was practicing the kind of living that Jesus prescribed and that Christians strive to follow, including his command to "love your enemies." Perhaps we Christians should follow this Muslim's example.

One of the men in the convoy from this story lives in Durham, NC. He has helped to start something called The Rutba House which is part of the New Monasticism movement. You can read about it here. The Rutba house is a covenant community that strives to follow the Acts model of community:

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." -Acts 4:32-35

Perhaps we could all take a lesson from Rutba, whether in Iraq or in Durham.

Twenty Six

I recently turned 26 and had a wonderful birthday full of surprises thanks to my lovely wife. In honor of my more than a quarter century on earth and in the style of Facebook's "25 Things About Me," here are 26 things I've learned about myself or this thing we call life.

1. Like my sister, my favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip. Breyer's makes the best.
2. Also like my sister I am somewhat musical and can carry a tune...unlike my dad.
3. I play the drums, most keyboard percussion instruments, guitar, and I am learning the harmonica.
4. Like my brother, my favorite video game of all time is River City Ransom for the NES.
5. I was married May 20, 2006 to my lovely wife and best friend, Heather.
6. Like my parents, I am a Christian; however, my faith is often expressed differently than theirs.
7. I have a dog, Dakota. She's great. The three of us pal around a lot.
8. Everyone experiences suffering, and no one's suffering can be compared to or judged by another person's suffering. The best way to help is to walk with another through his suffering.
9. I have worked in the grocery store business for a total of 5+ years.
10. I've always wondered what really happened to the Lost Colony.
11. I've been skydiving. And I hope to do it again.
12. I hate that I live in a culture that is sickly obsessed with material things. Sometimes I want to live in another country with as few 'things' as possible.
13. Apparently my sister can trace my genealogy back to John Alden and Priscilla Mullen of the Mayflower.
14. I graduated from UNC-CH with a Bachelor of Music and will soon complete a Master of Divinity from Campbell University.
15. Life and death are not opposites. Death is the only for sure part of life. The opposite of life is more likely loneliness. There's no refuting that humans thrive on our relationships. Without any relationships, more people would find no reason to live.
16. I love movies. My wife and I watch them all the time. My favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption, but the Dark Knight is a close second.
17. I think that there is a God out there. After all, where did all this stuff come from?
18. I love to go skiing. I was on a ski racing team for three seasons in school. In eighth grade I placed 5th overall.
19. I've been to Alaska for over a month, Northern Ireland for two weeks and Mexico for a day.
20. I don't know what I'm going to be in the future, and I'm glad of it.
21. I'm a band geek to the end. Although, being a band geek has got me into 3 Carolina-Dook games, free trips to Florida and DC, and front row seats when the Tar Heels won the 2005 NCAA basketball tournament.
22. I get a kick out of making puns. The worse they are the better.
23. The more I write, the more I realize that I like writing. The same goes with reading.
24. Like millions of others I am into Harry Potter. I blame/thank my brother for that.
25. It seems like too often, the more money people have the more they want and worry about it. Also, the more they have the less of a realistic perspective on life they have.
26. I think every so often we all ought to cry for the violence that we allow to take place everyday in our world and for those who starve when we're trying to lose weight. Then we should do something about it.

Comments welcome.

Too much for me

Concerning how average Americans can help out economy, I recently heard someone describe it this way: In the past years, under the Bush administration, the word for Americans was spend; but this year if we really want to help America, the word is save.

Much of our economies problems are due to Americans living outside of their financial means, buying houses too big, taking out large loans, living off of credit cards and racking up debt in so doing. No wonder the federal government went a little spending crazy as well. As a country, we need to seek out the oldest members in our families and ask them how to save money, because they most likely grew up pinching every penny. My great-grandmother sure did.

Barack Obama's inauguration is tomorrow, and as we look toward the changing of the presidential guard I think back to some of statements he made concerning cutting government spending. He repeatedly promised to review the federal budget line-by-line in order to cut spending anywhere possible. I think that's a good thing.

However, I am concerned about Obama's ability to carry out a presidential term that spends less than previous administrations. In one month of campaigning, Obama spent more money than had ever before been spent on any candidates entire campaign. And now I find this article concerning the cost of his inauguration.

Clinton's inauguration in 1993 cost approximately 33 million.
In 2005 Bush spent around 42.3 million.
Tomorrow's celebration is expected to cost more than 150 million.

I should first say that I am a supporter of Obama, but that's just way too much money for me. What if the government set the example of saving money by actually...saving money? What an idea?!

I realize more people than ever are planning on attending tomorrow's party and speech, but I cannot condone spending over three times the amount needed just 4 years ago. I can think of (and I'm sure Mr. Obama can too) many better ways that money can be used.

I also realize the Obama is probably not planning the inauguration himself and has little say over the money spent. I just hope that this is not a foreshadowing of how money will be spent during the next 4 years.

I have high hopes for our country's recovery in the next few years, and I hope that our new president leads us well. May we all do our part in the effort.

He Built More

While visiting family in Asheville over the holidays my wife and I were taken to the Biltmore House as a Christmas present. Having grown up in Asheville, the notion of visiting the Biltmore House is nothing new. However, the last time I went was in third grade, and I hardly remember it. So, our trip this Christmas was very exciting.

Some Fun Facts: The Biltmore House was built (paid for) by George Washington Vanderbilt. Construction lasted six years, starting in 1889. George Vanderbilt presented the completed house (a summer home) to his wife and daughter on Christmas Eve, 1895. What a present! At the time, the Biltmore House was and still is America's largest home, containing 250 rooms. It currently sits on a humble 8,000 acre estate; however, when Mr. Vanderbilt purchased the estate in North Carolina it was a mere 125,000 acres, most of which has since been sold off, but the largest portion was given to the state and serves as the epicenter of what is now Pisgah National Forrest.

The house itself is magnificent! In the picture above you can use the tiny specs in front of the house as a scale...they're people. As we took the self-guided tour lasting 2.5 hours (to only see 60 of the rooms) I stood in constant wonder. Simply the grandness of the house is astonishing. Everything is bigger, doors, windows, tables and ceilings. But at the same time the detail with which is was designed is amazing. Everywhere we looked there were carvings, etchings, statues, engravings, designs and prints. From the furniture to the molding, nothing is plain.

It is difficult to describe the Biltmore House with the same words used to describe today's modern homes. It might be better to say it is like entering a castle built and designed by a wealthy and meticulous artist. If the house were a song it would be a grand symphony. If it were a painting it would be the roof of the Sistine Chapel. I'm sure everyone who tours the house has the same thoughts that I did, "I'd love just to live here for a day and have the run of the whole place!" However, I don't think one day is enough time to see the whole house, much less to find your way out again.

While trying to describe the scenes on which we gazed, I was reminded of a biblical author who too had trouble describing what he saw. When writing Revelation John had trouble describing his visions. He was forced to use analogies by saying "I saw something like..." When describing the heavenly throne room in chapters 4-5 he did his best to describe with human language a scene that is simply indescribable. When reading the Greek New Testament, the words and language in Revelation are not always easy to put together. There's bad grammar, words left out and what seems to be mis-spellings. It is almost as if the author was scribbling as fast as he could to put down on paper (or papyrus) the images he had been shown.

The Biltmore House was very impressive indeed. It is an example of what man can accomplish and build even back in the late 1800s. But even the most impressive dinning room or estate can't hold a candle to what I image the New Heaven and New Earth will be like. John spends an entire chapter describing them at the end of Revelation, because they are so great and so astounding. He describes the great vastness of the city of God, but also describes the smallest details such as the gem stones at the gates.

Let us not forget that nothing we create, or do, or accomplish can ever compare to what God has already done. As good and moral as we are, we are still sinful beings. As proud and credentialed as we may become, we are still unwise when compared to God. Isaiah 65:6b says "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." The best aspects about human life cannot compare to the hypothetical weakest aspects in God's character; "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." 1 Corinthians 1:25.

Trans-Siberian Fun

We went recently to Greensboro to enjoy the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas concert. And it was thrilling! The guitars wailed, the violins danced and the drums thundered for a riveting 2.5 hour show.

As I understand it the TSO uses the largest set up of lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and effects of any major traveling act.

And I'd believe it!

To introduce the principal guitar and violin players, they were lowered on platforms as they played seemingly out of the sky onto the stage. Even the large metal frames that were hanging above the stage supporting other lights were movable. They were laced with lights and often moved up, down, tilted and curved in different directions to add to the show (see left).









My favorite part was probably the fire (see upper right). At one point is was so hot you could feel the heat way back in the upper section where my wife and I were seated.

We got really cheap tickets so it was definitely worth the money. I would recommend The TSO to just about anyone and I hope to see them again!

A "good message"

Growing up in the Bible belt I was exposed to a healthy portion of good o'le Southern Baptist doctrine. And one of the staples of southern conservative Christianity is Evangelism. Few faith groups in America are as good at sharing their faith and message to gain converts as Baptists. (However, as I understand it, the Mormons have us beat.)

As I have made my way through seminary I have gotten a taste of the more moderate flavors of the Baptists pie. One thing I have noticed is that Evangelism looks quite different in a moderate Baptist church. You might say that moderate baptists have shied away from 'traditional' Baptist evangelism for fear of appearing to be Southern Baptist. And this trend has impacted me in one way or another. I have found myself more removed from teaching about evangelism or faith sharing. I have even found myself keeping away from the "E" word all together. and this is regrettable.

However, recently I have found a renewed appreciation for euaggelizo. We get the word "evangelism" by transliterating the Greek word seen above. When taken apart, the Greek word euaggelizo is made up of two parts.

The first word, "eu" is a prefix meaning "good." It is the same as the "eu" prefix in the word 'eulogy' (meaning "good word") or 'euthanasia' (meaning "good death").

The second part of the word, aggelos, is the word from which we get "angel." It literally means, "messenger."

So when put together "good" and "message" become "the good message" or "good news." The verb would be "to share the good news."

I don't know how or why, but somehow this understanding of the word helps me to come back to a healthy respect for what evangelism is. I helps me to disassociate evangelism with overly anxious Bible thumping street preachers that preach more condemnation than grace and re-associate it with a genuine telling of something that is good and worth while.

If you have been like me and strayed away from traditional evangelism, perhaps you can join me on the shore of genuine faith sharing that isn't concerned with counting baptisms or one-hit-conversions .

In my opinion, meaningful evangelism is done through life giving relationships with people and with Jesus the Anointed One rather than through reciting a prayer or walking down the Roman Road. From Jesus' own mouth we know that faith sharing is important, but I hope we can hold an honest picture of what that looks like.

However we do so, let's be sure to share the good message.

Dog Theology, part 2: Learning to Swim

For many dogs swimming, as well as the desire to swim, just comes naturally. Not so with my dog: Dakota. However, there was a time, once, when I did successfully get her to swim.

While camping at Jordan Lake during a hot summer my wife and I took Dakota to the water. Getting her to splash and trot around with her feet in the water was easy. But to get her out any deeper than her belly took a bit of coaxing. Dogs seem to instinctively know how to swim, but ours only knows how to instinctively be a wuss.

Being a hound breed she is very food motivated. She'll do just about anything for a tasty morsel. And that's just what it took to get her to swim on her own. I put a treat in front of her curiously sniffing snout just out of reach and slowly lead her step by four-legged step into deeper water. With this tactic the two of us walked all six of our legs into deep water. There were a number of times when she abandoned the treat and turned around. But with enough motivation and encouragement from her dear o'le doggy dad she swam on her own.

Yay!!!

Isn't that just how growth happens? Most of us have not gotten to where we are in life by jumping into the middle of our vocational pool. We gradually took steps toward the deep water and who we would become. We may have turned back due to fear, but this slow gradual process seems to be the way in which God chooses to grow us emotionally, spiritually, and even vocationally.

Whatever morsel is in front of you right now, giving you reason and inspiration to move deeper, let me encourage you to step back and take in the big picture of your life. Sometimes it might be helpful to turn back, look at the shore where you began and notice just how far you've already come, instead of focusing on how far you still have to go.

This has been my own experience through grad school. If at the beginning of seminary I had seen where I am at now, I would have thought there is no way I could grow so much or swim so far. But I must credit those who walked out there with me and encouraged me along my path.

Step by four-legged step as I come to the end of seminary I, too, am learning to swim.